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Sony: PS3 Not "Fully Stocked" In North America

In the months directly after a new system launch, there are almost always shortages to deal with. Last year, the Xbox 360 literally disappeared from store shelves in the first few months, and this year, the Nintendo Wii is still difficult to find (not to mention the almost non-existent Wii-motes). However, it seems the PS3 is readily available in most regions of the U.S., thanks to Sony shipping over 2 million units worldwide.

But even so, Sony claims they haven't "fully stocked" North America with PS3s just yet, and they don't plan to accomplish that feat until April or May.

"It's a testament to the fact that we've been able to manufacture and ship units on a greater pace than any previous console," said SCEA president and CEO Jack Tretton in an interview with Reuters. "Our goal is to fill shelves across the United States. Our goal is not to have empty shelves, it's to have full shelves. If we have empty shelves, that's one less consumer who could have bought a PlayStation 3."

For the most part, though, we haven't heard too many examples of severe PS3 shortages anywhere in the U.S. It's our guess the system might be tough to find in some of the smaller towns and Midwest areas, but as far as the East and West coasts are concerned, it seems most retailers have an ample supply. But hey, Sony plans to sell a lot of these things, so they might as well stock up.